The first time I went to Paris in 2018, I went to the Palais Garnier because of course I did. While there, I stumbled upon a couple costumes that had been set up as part of a display that wasn’t yet finished. Oops. Turned out no one was supposed to go there yet…. Oh, well. Too late.
In this post, I’ll share some photos of the princess’s costume. Disney named her Aurora. So the princess wasn’t originally called that. She was just la belle au bois dormant, and she came to us from France. However, she is just plain known as Aurora now, or Aurore-with-an-E in French.
This tutu was made for and worn by Héloïse Bourdon. The suit worn by Christophe Duquenne as le Prince Désiré will be next, and rather than have the pressure of a regular post schedule, since some posts can take significantly more time, I will be dedicating an hour a day to sifting through thousands of photos and working on posts. I may also break some posts into multiple parts to prevent so many days from passing between posts.
Now, Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography for this production includes what is widely considered to be the most difficult variation for women in ballet…the famous Rose Adagio. It is a beautiful piece. In it, Aurora has returned to the castle and is meeting potential suitors. I’m sharing Marianela Nuñez’s performance. No, she’s not with the POB, but the is the clearest video, and she’s also my favorite Manon. Balletomanes will know what I’m talking about.
Anyway. All photos open to much larger photos when clicked, and there will be minimal commentary.
And, as promised, here is POB’s Aurelie Dupont as Aurora in the Rose Adagio.
When I was five, my auntie Sandra game me a book for Christmas, of Tasha Tudor’s illustrated fairy tales. I always thought this was one of the most beautiful illustrations. This book is no longer in print, though I wish it was. It’s gorgeous.
